Published July 24, 2026 · Updated August 4, 2026
A Bowl of Comfort That Never Left Our Memories
Murray’s Restaurants baked its macaroni and cheese in individual ceramic crocks, using large elbow noodles and a mild white cheddar sauce with no breadcrumbs and no browned top. This 1970s Montreal and Toronto lunch counter staple is reconstructed here from a reader named Andrea’s memory and my own, since no official recipe was ever published.
Some recipes are remembered because they’re extraordinary.
Others are remembered because they became part of everyday life.
For many Canadians who grew up in Montreal and Toronto during the 1960s and 1970s, Murray’s Restaurants was one of those places. Whether it was lunch after shopping downtown, dinner with family, or a weekly outing with grandparents, Murray’s became woven into countless family traditions.
One of the dishes that quietly earned a devoted following was its baked macaroni and cheese.
It wasn’t topped with breadcrumbs. It wasn’t browned under a broiler. It wasn’t loaded with sharp cheeses or bold seasonings. Instead, it was beautifully simple: large macaroni noodles coated in a silky, mild white cheddar sauce and served bubbling hot in an individual ceramic crock.
Decades later, people are still searching for it.
Murray’s Macaroni and Cheese Quick Stats
The Email That Inspired This Recipe
For years, I considered recreating Murray’s macaroni and cheese for The Lunch Pro.
The idea always ended up on the “someday” list. There are already thousands of macaroni and cheese recipes online, and I wasn’t convinced another one would add anything new.
Then I received this email from Andrea, who grew up visiting Murray’s Restaurant in the Town of Mount Royal with her grandmother. I often visited that location too, and remember it fondly in this article.
“I grew up in Montreal going to the TMR Murray’s with my grandmother. My absolute favorite treat was when we could go on Fridays for the macaroni and cheese special: vegetable soup (tomato juice for grandma), muffins, mac and cheese, and then a packet of gum from the counter was the perfect meal.
Over the years, I’ve found myself periodically googling ‘Murray’s macaroni and cheese’ in an attempt to find some kind of recipe.
Did you, by chance, ever order Murray’s (actual Murray’s!) macaroni and cheese? Do you think I might ever get to experience a copycat recipe?”
Andrea’s message immediately brought back my own memories.
I replied that I had first enjoyed Murray’s macaroni and cheese at the downtown Montreal locations while growing up. Later, after moving to Toronto in 1977 to attend university, I often found myself making the trip to Murray’s on Yonge Street whenever I was feeling homesick.
Growing up on Kraft Dinner, Murray’s version seemed surprisingly sophisticated. The noodles were noticeably larger, the cheese sauce was creamy and white instead of bright orange, and every serving arrived piping hot in its own ceramic dish.
Andrea’s memories and mine, formed independently and in different Murray’s locations, described remarkably similar meals.
That convinced me this recipe deserved to be preserved.
Why This Method Works
A real roux, not a shortcut: Butter and flour cooked together for a full minute build the base that lets the sauce coat every noodle without turning greasy or grainy once it’s baked.
Evaporated milk for staying power: A small amount added alongside the whole milk gives the sauce enough stability to hold up through baking without separating, which is exactly what a crock full of mac and cheese needs to survive 12 to 15 minutes in the oven.
Large noodles change the texture entirely: Standard elbow macaroni disappears into a sauce this thin. Large elbows hold their shape and give each bite the noodle-forward texture that regulars specifically remember.
Bake to bubble, not to brown: A short, gentle bake sets the dish without building a crust, which is the detail most modern recipes skip entirely in favor of a broiled top.
Modern Baked Mac and Cheese vs. Murray’s-Style Version
| Element | Typical Modern Recipe | Murray’s-Style Version |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese | Sharp cheddar, Gruyere, or a blend | Mild white cheddar only |
| Seasoning | Mustard, garlic, paprika | Salt only |
| Topping | Breadcrumbs, broiled top | None, no browning |
| Noodles | Standard elbow macaroni | Large elbow macaroni |
| Serving format | Shared casserole dish | Individual ceramic crocks |
This recipe intentionally resists the temptation to “improve” the original. Sometimes nostalgia tastes exactly like simplicity.
Here is the reconstructed Murray’s Restaurants’ Macaroni and Cheese recipe, followed by the full story of how it was pieced back together.
Murray’s Restaurants Baked Macaroni and Cheese (1970s Reconstruction)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare the pasta
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the macaroni until just shy of al dente
- Drain thoroughly.
Make the cheese sauce
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute without allowing the mixture to brown.
- Slowly whisk in the whole milk, followed by the evaporated milk.
- Continue stirring until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Reduce the heat to low.
- Gradually add the grated white cheddar, stirring constantly until completely melted and silky smooth.
- Stir in the salt.
- The finished sauce should be smooth and pourable rather than thick enough to stand on its own.
Assemble
- Fold the cooked macaroni into the cheese sauce until every noodle is coated.
- Divide evenly among six ceramic crocks.
- Arrange the crocks on a baking sheet.
- Bake for approximately 12–15 minutes, just until the sauce bubbles gently around the edges.
- Do not brown the tops.
- Allow the dishes to rest for five minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
Serving Ideas
If you’d like to recreate the Murray’s Friday special remembered by our reader, serve this macaroni and cheese with:- vegetable soup (or tomato juice if you’re honouring Grandma’s tradition),
- Murray’s bran muffins,
- and, if you’re feeling nostalgic, a stick or packet of gum after the meal.
Tried this recipe?
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A Historical Reconstruction, Not an Official Recipe
No official Murray’s Restaurants macaroni and cheese recipe has ever surfaced.
Everything above has been carefully reconstructed using firsthand memories from former Murray’s customers, my own recollections from Montreal and Toronto during the 1970s, vintage Canadian family restaurant cooking techniques, institutional recipes from the era, and commercial cheese sauce methods commonly used by restaurants during the 1960s and 1970s.
Rather than trying to create the “best” macaroni and cheese, the goal was something quite different: to recreate the dish as many Murray’s customers remember it.
What We Remember
Although memories naturally fade over time, several details appeared consistently. The macaroni and cheese was served in individual ceramic crocks, baked just until bubbling, topped with no breadcrumbs, and never browned or gratineed. It was made with a smooth white cheese sauce, mild rather than strongly seasoned, and prepared with large macaroni noodles instead of standard elbows.
That simplicity may be exactly why the dish has remained so memorable.
Why This Recipe Is Different
Modern baked macaroni and cheese often includes sharp aged cheddar, Gruyere, Parmesan, Dijon or dry mustard, paprika, garlic, breadcrumbs, and a deeply browned crust. Those ingredients produce wonderful modern comfort food, but they simply don’t resemble the Murray’s Macaroni and Cheese version either of us remembers.
Chef Tips for Perfect Murray’s-Style Macaroni and Cheese
Cook the roux a full minute: Whisking the flour into the melted butter and letting it cook for a minute before adding any liquid cooks out the raw flour taste, so the finished sauce is clean and silky rather than pasty.
Add the cheese off high heat: Once the milk has thickened, drop to low heat before adding the grated cheddar. High heat can cause the fat in the cheese to separate out, leaving a greasy sauce instead of a smooth one.
Undercook the pasta on purpose: Stopping just shy of al dente matters, since the noodles keep cooking in the oven. Fully cooked pasta going into the crocks turns soft and mushy by the time the dish finishes baking.
Grate your own cheddar: Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starch that keeps a sauce from turning silky. Freshly grated mild white cheddar melts smoothly and gives the sauce its signature texture.
Watch the bake, not the clock: Every oven runs a little differently, so check at the 12-minute mark and pull the crocks the moment the sauce bubbles gently at the edges. Going longer starts to brown the top, which isn’t the Murray’s look.
Murray’s Macaroni and Cheese Storage and Serving Suggestions
Refrigerator Storage: Cool completely, then store in the ceramic crocks or an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer Storage: This sauce can separate slightly after freezing, so it’s best eaten fresh from the refrigerator. If you do freeze it, thaw overnight and stir in a splash of milk while reheating to bring the sauce back together.
Reheating: Warm gently in a 325°F oven or in the microwave at half power, stirring in a splash of milk if the sauce has thickened too much.
Complete the Meal: Recreate the Friday special as our reader remembers it, with a cup of vegetable soup, a Murray’s bran muffin on the side, and a stick of gum after the meal.
Murray’s Macaroni and Cheese Q&A
Did Murray’s Restaurants ever publish an official macaroni and cheese recipe?
No official recipe was ever released. This version was reconstructed from firsthand customer memories, the author’s own recollections of the Montreal and Toronto locations, and cooking techniques typical of Canadian family restaurants in the 1960s and 1970s.
Why doesn’t this recipe use breadcrumbs or a browned topping?
Customers who remember the dish consistently describe it as never browned or gratineed. Baking it just until the sauce bubbles at the edges, without a broiled or crumb topping, matches that memory more closely than a modern crusted casserole.
Can I make this Murray’s-style macaroni and cheese ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble the crocks up to a day ahead and refrigerate them unbaked, then bake straight from the fridge, adding a few extra minutes. Fully baked leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
What made Murray’s Restaurants macaroni and cheese different from Kraft Dinner?
The noodles were noticeably larger than standard elbow macaroni, the sauce was a creamy white cheddar rather than the bright orange of boxed mac and cheese, and every serving arrived hot in its own individual ceramic crock.
Sometimes it’s the little details that complete the memory. If you make this, we would love to hear whether it matches the Murray’s you remember.
Medical Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, individual responses to foods vary. Always consult with your healthcare provider or registered dietitian about dietary changes.
